Software development is notoriously difficult, and software development in a mainframe environment has its own particular challenges. For a variety of reasons, many tools for analyzing mainframe software do not run on the mainframe, but rather run on microcomputers, which are typically part of a local area network (LAN). As a result, a development team may wish to use computers on the LAN to analyze the mainframe software as it is modified.
Before the software can be analyzed on the LAN, it must at some point be transferred from the mainframe to the local area network. Analysis can then proceed. However, problems can arise if careful attention is not paid to the transfer process. Code on the LAN may not be the same as the mainframe code.
After the software is transferred to the LAN, changes may be made. For example, in a software development situation, changes may be made to the source code or other items. Analysis on the outdated files is a waste of time because the analysis should take place on the latest files.
Because of the difficulty, effort, and time involved in transferring the software from the mainframe to the LAN, a developer may forget or prefer not to keep a careful watch on the software on the LAN to make sure that it is not outdated. Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in techniques for keeping the files up to date. Such techniques can also be used in other scenarios in which transfer of files from a mainframe to a LAN are desired.